Circuit-controller.



A. J. HORTON.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. a, 1916.

Patented. Jan. 28, 1939 0M MN wrllliiiiilnldni.(\l.ll V I @Lllxii LT aw J W N 4 4 J 7v 4 y 4 r. a um rw m w .y 6 ban /u N 3 ..11 M 1 Q P. M

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT J". HORTON, OF WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUTLER- HAMMER MFG. 00., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WIS- CONSIN.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Application filed February 8, 1916. Serial No. 76,899.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. HORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at White Plains, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Controllers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to circuit control lore and more particularly tothose of the overload tripping type.

One object of the invention is to provide improved means whereby such a circuit controller may be readily tripped and reset either manually or through engagement by a moving part of a driven machine c011- trolled thereby.

A further object is to provide means whereby this result may be attained through the reverse actuation of a single lever.

A still further object is that of roviding a circuit breaker which in addition to its ordinary functions is also adapted for use as line switch.

Other objects and advantages will as the description proceeds.

The invention has been found especially advantageous in the control of motors operating machines for boring rifle barrels.

Such an embodiment of the invention is diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings which will now be described.

Referring to the drawing, a motor A is supplied with current from a line L-L through a main switch S. The circuit controller, designated in its entirety as B, operates to interrupt and reestablish the circuit of motor A under certain conditions while a self starter C operates to accelerate motor A in the usual manner.

The circuit controller B, which will be first described, comprises a switch lever 10 pivoted at 11 and biased upwardly by a spring 12. A contact 13 is carried by said switch lever for engagement with station ary contacts 14 connected to line L by a conductor 15. The switch lever 10 is provided with a projecting pin 16 for engagement by a latch 17 when depressed into engagement with contacts 14. The latch is pivoted at 18 and biased to latching osition by a weighted appear extension 19 for retaining lever 10 in circuit closing position against the action of spring 12. Lever 10 is further provided with a projecting shouldered member 20 for engagement by a corresponding shoulder 21 upon a reciprocating member 22, said member being further provided at its lower end with a hook 22 adapted to engage the lever 19 for tripping the latch 17.

The member 22 is pivotally connected to an oscillating lever 23 which is itself pivoted at 24:. A bell crank lever 25 pivoted at 26 has one arm connected to the free end of lever 23 by a link 27 for oscillation of said last named lever. The bell crank lever 25 is biased by gravity to occupy an intermediate position and is displaceable therefrom in either direction either manually or by an oppositely moving part of the machine driven by motor A.

For electrically tripping the circuit controller B an overload device is provided comprising an overload coil 28 having a lunger extension 28 which is adapted to strike the extension 19 to trip latch 17. The coil 28 has its o posite terminals connected to the lever 10 and motor armature by conductors 29 and 30 respectively and further has a short-circuit from conductor 29 by conductor 34 through lever 23 and contacts 32 and 33 associated therewith, by conductor 34: to conductor 30. This short-circuit when closed renders the overload coil ineffective to trip the controller and the contacts 32 and 33 are arranged to close said short-circuit during the setting of the controller by lever 23 and'to open the same when the lever 23 is released and returns to normal position as illustrated.

The operation of the circuit controller is as follows: Upon shifting of lever 25 to the left, lever 23 is lifted, whereupon the hook 22 trips the latch 17 whereupon spring 12 operates to raise lever 10 thereby interruptmg the hue connection through the contacts 14: and 13. The same result is attained upon the occurrence of an overload through coil 28 by the lifting of its plunger to strike and trip the latch. The lever 10 will remain raised until closed by movement of lever 25 to the right.

Upon movement of the lever 25 to its extreme right hand position the lever 23 is depressed whereby shoulder 21 engages with shoulder 20 of the lever 10. Lever 10 is thus depressed and the movable contact 13 is engaged with the contacts 14 whereby the line connection through said contacts is reestablished. Furthermore, contact 33 is brought into engagement with the stationary contact 32 thereby short-circuiting the winding of overload coil 28 and rendering the overload device ineffective to trip lever 10 so long as lever 20 is held in the position last mentioned.

Thus it is seen that in addition to its functions as an overload device, the circuit controller described is capable of operation through the lever 25 as a line switch, and further, that by the shifting of said lever 25 to its extreme right hand position, incident to closing circuit, the overload device is rendered temporarily ineffective. This latter result is especially useful and important during starting of a motor, at which time it is desirable to reduce the sensitiveness of the circuit controller or to entirely suspend its function for a temporary period.

Motor A includes in its armature circuit a resistance R, and in its field circuit a variable resistance R. For accelerating the motor by. appropriate automatic regulation of these resistances the self-starter C is provided.

Self starter C comprises a coil 36 provided with a plunger 36 to which are attached three contacts 37, 38 and 39.

The contact 37 operates to cut in and out the resistance R while contact 38 controls the inclusion and exclusion of the variable field resistance R and normally excludes the same. Contact 39 operates to include and exclude a protective resistance 40 in series with coil 36 which is connected by conductor 35 to the pivot of latch 17 and through said latch to the lever 10. The coil 36, as will appear, is designed for connection across the armature circuit of motor A to respond to the C. E. M. F. thereof and lever 10 serves to make and break its connections by engaging and disengaging latch 17.

The operation of the entire regulator is as follows: The parts being in the relative pos1t1ons shown, the armature circuit of motor A extends from line L through switch S, conductor 15, contacts 14 and 13, switch lever 10, conductor 29, overload coil 28 and conductor 30 to the said armature, the return bemg through conductor 41, resistance R and conductor 42 to switch S and line L. The field circuit of said motor is from conductor 30 through the field winding F by conductors 45, and 47, through movable contact 38, by conductors 48 and 42 to line L.

As the motor A speeds up a C. E. M. F. is developed therein which energizes self starter coil 36, its circuit extending from the right hand armature terminal by C01]: ductor 30, through overload coil 28, by conductor 29 and switch lever 10, latch 17 and conductor 35 to and through said self starter coil 36' and thence through conductor 49, permanent resistance 51, movable contact 39 by conductors 50 and 41 to the left hand armature terminal. Upon the C. E. M. F. attaining a predetermined strength coil 36 is sufficiently energized to lift plunger 36 whereby movable contact 37 is brought into engagement with contacts 43 and 44 while the movable contacts 38 and 39 are both lifted, thus interrupting the respective short circuits closed thereby. By the closing of contact 37 the resistance R is excluded from the armature circuit of the motor. By the lifting of movable contact 38 resistance R is included in the field circuit of motor A, the field circuit then extending from conductor 45 through resistance R by conductors 46 and 42 to line L. The lifting of movable contact 39 includes the protectlve resistance 40 in the circuit of coil 36. The exclusion of resistance R from the armature circuit as above described permits the full strength of the line current through motor A for accelerating the same, while the inclusion of resistance R in the field circuit also accelerates the motor by field weakening.

Upon the occurrence of an overload in the motor circuit the overload coil 28 operates to trip latch 17 and release the switch lever 10 in the manner above described. By this operation both the motor circuit and the circuit of self starter 36 are interrupted, thus insuring the return of the self starter to starting position upon each interruption of the motor circuit.

The switch lever 10 may be reset by move-- ment of lever 25 to the right, said action resulting in the engagement of contacts 13 and 14 for reestablishing the motor circuit and also the circuit of self starter coil 36 whereupon the described action of self starter C will be repeated for accelerating motor A. Movement of the'lever 25 to the right also engages movable contact 33 with contact 32 for short-circuiting the overload coil 28 but only as long as the lever 23 is restrained against return movement. On the other hand, the lever 10 may be tripped as well as reset by the lever 25.

Thus with the self starter under the control of the lever 10 said lever, through lever 25, affords means whereby the motor may be fully controlled either manually or automatically by the driven machine in addition to affording overload protection to the motor.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a circuit controller, in combination, a switch biased to open position, a latch for retaining the same in closed position, trip ping means for said latch, an oscillatory member biased to stand in neutral position and means operable movement of said member in one direction from neutral position to trip said latch and in a reverse direction from neutral position to set said switch.

2. In a circuit controller, in combination, a switch biased to open position, means for retaining said switch in closed position, electro-responsive means associated with said retaining means to effect release of said switch, common mechanical means to selectively set said switch and trip said retaining means to release said switch, and an auxiliary switch controlled by said last mentioned means for rendering said electro-responsive means ineffective during setting of said former switch.

3. In a circuit controller, in combination, a switch biased to open position, means to retain said switch in closed position, electroresponsive means associated with said retaining means to effect release of said switch, and mechanical setting and tripping means for said switch including an operating member biased to stand in a given position and movable in opposite directions therefrom to selectively trip and reset said switch.

4. In a circuit controller, in combination, a switch biased to open position, means to retain said switch in closed position, electroresponsive means associated with said retaining means for efiecting release of said switch, an oscillating lever biased to neutral position, a plunger operable by movement thereof in one direction for tripping said retaining means and by reverse movement thereof for setting said switch.

5. In a circuit controller, in combination, a switch biased to open position, a latch. to

retain said switch in closed position, electroresponsive means associated with said retaining means to effect release of said switch, a reciprocating plunger having a hook and a shoulder operable upon reverse movements of said plunger to respectively trip said latch and set said switch, and a single lever biased to an intermediate position and capable of displacement in opposite directions for producing reverse movements of said plunger.

6. In a circuit controller, in combination, a switch biased to open position, means to retain said switch in closed position, an overload trip coil associated with said retaining means for effecting release of said switch, mechanical setting and tripping means therefor including a single lever biased to an intermediate position and displaceable therefrom in opposite directions to selectively trip and set said switch, andlGO means associated with said mechanical means to render said trip coil ineffective during setting of said switch.

7. In a circuit controller, in combination, a switch biased to open position, means to retain said switch in closed position, an overload trip coil associated with said retaining means to effect release of said switch, common mechanical means to selectively set said switch and trip said retain ing means, and means associated with said mechanical means for short circuiting said overload coil to render the same inefiective during setting of said switch.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ALBERT J. HORTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

